The Fire Lord That Couldn't Sing
by avatarfreak14
Summary: After saying something he didn't mean to Katara, Zuko must earn her forgiveness by doing something he really dreads.


**The Fire Lord That Couldn't Sing**  
Zutara: Serenade

It had been a year since the war. The world was steadily developing with Fire Lord Zuko's help and more importantly, the unity of the now Three Nations. The world was finally at peace, a peace it had not experienced in a century, and although the road to recovery was a difficult one, people were motivated and strengthened by the fact that these hardships ultimately led to their wellbeing rather than their suffering as they once did.

Which was why Zuko had invited Toph, Sokka, Aang, Katara and Suki to stay at his palace for the following month. He needed detailed and thorough reports regarding the rest of the world. Toph had been in the Earth Kingdom, where she had been requested to use her skills for repair in some of the villages, she'd also went to patch things up with her parents.

Despite the fact that Aang and Katara had gotten together at the end of the war, they'd went in opposite directions after it: Katara returning to the Southern Water Tribe to help her home village and more importantly to stay with her father whom she'd missed very much. Aang, however, travelled to wherever he was needed. Many people wished for his help and being the Avatar, Aang recognised his duties towards them. Realising that they're relationship would be difficult and unreasonable; Katara and Aang maturely went their separate ways but of course remained as close as friends as two people possibly could.

Suki went back to Kyoshi Island and Sokka ventured to The Northern Water Tribe where chief Arnook humbly asked for his assistance in training non-bender warriors. Suki joined him later on.

All of them had been spread out, which made them perfect to supply valuable information to Zuko that would allow him to further promote peace and mend the world's many aftermath issues. But Zuko also dearly missed his friends, something he would never admit to any of them.

**X X X**

"I don't know what I should do!" Sokka complained loudly. He was sitting in a rather comfortable armchair in the Fire Nation palace, which he was requested to arrive upon by Zuko who'd also invited his sister, his girlfriend, and the rest of their friends so that he could be updated of the world's progress through their eyes. Speaking of, the Fire Lord was seated on the armchair to his right while Katara was seated on his left.

"Well that depends on how bad the fight actually was. Tell us exactly what happened." Katara offered. Sokka had told the two of them in a rush of indecipherable words of the vicious fight he and Suki had shared. His girlfriend was presently locked in her room by her own account and refused to come out. Sokka had instantly went to the GAang for advice and although Aang and Toph had left early on to spar and explore the palace, he was still willing to accept advice from Katara and Zuko.

"Well last night," He began. "I went to Suki's room to, you know…" he trailed off. Katara wrinkled her nose in distaste and Zuko looked very uncomfortable at his suggestion.  
"We don't want to know about what you do in your spare time, Sokka." Katara said. "Just keep going please." Sokka grinned at her obvious embarrassment for his actions but nevertheless continued.

"So anyway, I've been feeling really guilty lately about the fact that she left her village and people to join me in the Northern Water Tribe. So I told her that yesterday and she completely flipped out because she thought I was saying I wanted her to leave me alone or something! I'm telling you, she went crazy!"

Zuko looked at Sokka with an amused glint in his eyes. If there was anyone who was worse with words than himself, it was Sokka.  
"What exactly did you say?" He probed.  
"Well I said: 'I appreciate you coming here but-'"  
"But?!" Katara repeated. "Sokka that's where you went wrong. Girls never want to here 'but'. You should've started with 'Are you sure you're okay with' or ' I hope you don't mind that.'"

"I know!" Sokka whimpered. "It didn't come out right! That's why I need the two of you to help me now!"  
"Why don't you just apologize?" Zuko asked bewildered. What else could Sokka possibly do?  
"I've tried that Lordy Boy!" Sokka snapped. "It didn't work. So, any ideas?" Before either Zuko or Katara could reply, he answered his own question.  
"I know!" He announced. "I'll serenade her!" His friends reactions were immediate.  
"No!" Zuko yelled alarmingly.

Yes!" Katara yelled enthusiastically at the same moment.

The pair of them looked disagreeably at each other.

"I think you should do it Sokka. It's romantic, and a romantic gesture goes a long way." Zuko provided his own opinion before Sokka could reply to Katara's.

"What Katara means to say is that you'd make a fool of yourself and that'll get you nowhere." Katara turned sharply to him.  
"That's not what I meant at all and you know it." She seethed.  
"Maybe not," Zuko said. "But I'm more experienced in the relationship department than you are and I can say that women don't appreciate romantic gestures as much as you might think, Katara."

Katara mentally winced. Toph had noticed the absence of Mai's presence after Zuko had failed to mention her at all, two days into their stay. She then asked him and her received answer was a gruff: "It didn't work out." Katara wasn't surprised. Zuko and Mai's relationship had always appeared as though they were constantly battling each other. Katara had never understood how someone so full of passion had been with someone who lacked so much of it.  
"Not everyone is like Mai." Katara said quietly. It had been the wrong thing to say. Zuko looked at her with venom and she knew she'd accidently hit a nerve.  
"I just meant-"  
"My last relationship may not have ended well" Zuko interrupted, his voice cold. "But at least it lasted for more than a day.

He'd misinterpreted her comment to mean something else: an insult to his relationship skills. Ironically, she meant just the opposite. His replying comment however, made her want to water whip his face. He'd been talking about the brief relationship she'd had with Aang. Sokka sat awkwardly in his chair, unsure of what to say. Katara grit her teeth. She wanted to say so many things at that moment. Something like: 'Not all of us are Fire Lords who can have everything worked out for us' or 'At least my relationship had even a little bit of feeling behind it which I more than I could say for yours'. But she didn't say either of those things, because she wanted him to regret his comment.  
"Uhh, guys?" Sokka said hesitantly. "Maybe we should just-"

"All I meant was that Mai didn't appreciate your gestures the way I know other women would and the way she should've. But thank you so much for that insightful comment of yours." Katara interrupted, and even as she said it she could see the shame and regret unravelling on Zuko's face. Before he could voice an apology she didn't want to hear, she turned her back and walked away.

**X X X**

Zuko could've hit himself. Why did he always do that? Say things without thinking them through first.

He used to do it all the time with his Uncle. Every day on that ship was like one giant, fat and unfair excuse to insult his Uncle whenever he had the chance.

And now he was doing it again, just with a different person he cared about.

"Good job Zuko." Sokka said sarcastically, and Zuko was sorely tempted to whack the infuriating look on the Water Tribe boy's face.  
"Shut up Sokka!" He growled.

"Now about Suki-" Sokka began before Zuko cut him off.  
"Katara's probably right. Just go sing her a song and leave me alone." Sokka stood up and clapped Zuko's shoulder.  
"Thanks buddy." He said semi-sarcastically. "By the by, if I were you I'd patch things up with Katara before she water whips you in a place where you should never be water whipped. Believe me, I've been down that road…" he shuddered and with that he left.

Zuko took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do.

**X X X**

"You want to serenade Katara?" Toph exclaimed in disbelief, and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Zuko grimaced at her reaction, drowning in embarrassment as she laughed.  
"Yes! I do!" He yelled. "Look, I said something stupid and everyone except me seems to have the backwards idea of what's romantic. So even if I think it's dumb, I'll do it if it gets me back in Katara's good books. Aang, we both know I have no idea how to do this stuff so I need your help."

Thankfully the Avatar did not share Toph's reaction at Zuko's announcement but found himself respecting the Fire Lord for his sacrifice.  
"Okay no problem. First thing's first, what song are you going to sing?" Aang asked, looking at Zuko with his huge eyes.  
"I don't know!" Cried Zuko, distressed. "That's why I need your help!" This caused Toph to snort in amusement.  
"Wow," Aang said. "You weren't kidding about having no idea what you were doing." Zuko gave him a scathing look and Aang backtracked.  
"Sorry, sorry. Do you know any songs Zuko?"  
"No."  
"At all?"  
"No."  
"Oh boy…" Aang sighed.

Zuko looked at the younger boy, waiting for his advice.  
"Well?" He demanded. "What should I do?"  
"I suggest writing your own lyrics." Aang decided finally.  
"Really?" Zuko asked incredulously.  
"Yeah!" Aang confirmed. "It shows that you put some thought into it, that you care and that your song is made only for that one person."  
"And girls like that?" Zuko inquired. Aang snuck a look at Toph.  
"You'd be surprised how much." Zuko could've been wrong, but he swore he'd just seen Toph blush. He quirked an eyebrow.

"What should I write?" He asked.  
"What you feel." Aang said simply. Zuko nodded.  
"Okay then, I'll try that. Thanks Aang." He said and went to his room to write Katara's song.

**X X X  
**

Katara was eating Fire Flakes when she heard the dreadful singing outside her window.

"Dear Katara, I'm really sorry for my words," The voice sang miserably. "I know they hurt." Katara got up from her bed, heading swiftly towards the window. She unlocked the latch and opened the window. She laughed. Never in a million years had she ever imagined Zuko serenading her.

"You should know that you're one of my best friends,"

and I hope ours is a friendship I can mend.  
I had to ask Aang to help me,  
and he told me to write lyrics for thee,

I hope you like my song,

Because I know I was wrong…"

His singing was horrible and his lyrics even worse. But Katara found herself gazing down at him with near adoration. She knew he'd hated the idea Sokka serenading to Suki let alone the idea of himself serenading to anyone, and it made her heart melt that he'd do something he hated that she loved to earn her forgiveness.

On he sang, horrible lyric after horrible lyric, and when he finished, she called to him, telling that she'd be right down.

**X X X  
**

Zuko waited eagerly for Katara to come down, and when she did, the first thing she did was clap. Zuko smiled sheepishly, the worst was over.  
"What did you think?" He asked her.

"I think you have a way with words." She replied. Zuko sighed in relief, her answer could've been much worse.  
"I think that was the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." She said truthfully and rose to kiss his cheek. Zuko's hand went to the place where she kissed him and his eyes widened. His stomach flipped, a feeling he was unfamiliar with. Serenading Katara had gone much better than he'd dared hoped.

"By the way," he said suddenly as he remembered something. "I have a proposal for you. How would you like to be the official royal healer? You would live in the palace and your job would be to heal me, anyone in the palace who requires healing and anyone else at my request. The pay's pretty good and you'd have two days off, although you'd need to come to work if I needed you, along with some other benefits we'll discuss if you accept." Katara considered for a moment.  
"I'll take it." She decided. "I've been doing nothing with my tribe for the past year. I've had enough of a vacation and I'll be glad to do something useful again." Zuko revealed a satisfied.  
"I hope you realise that you'll have to see my every day." He joked, yet he found himself hoping that she wouldn't mind seeing him every day.  
"No more smart comments from you and we'll be fine." She replied and Zuko chuckled.

"Wanna go for a walk?" he offered, and she accepted. As they walked under the stars something occurred to him.  
Hey, did Sokka and Suki work out?" He asked. Katara grinned up at him.  
"Zuko, you could pit those two against each other in a war and they'd still be together."

'_Sounds like you and me'_ Zuko thought with a smile.


End file.
